Throwing in the Towel
by NettieC
Summary: Elliot wants a career change. What happens when our duo decide to throw in the towel and start something new with each other? Oneshot! Happy New Year.


**Disclaimer: They are not mine…otherwise we'd have all seen this for ourselves.**

**Sam, I appreciate everything – always.**

**Laura, thanks for the chats!**

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After the realisation struck him like a lightning bolt, Elliot stood stock still in the middle of the change rooms. At this very moment he knew he wanted a career change…an immediate change. Every other time he had thought about throwing in the towel and changing jobs were mere ideas in comparison to where he found himself now.

Elliot stood, his feet concreted to the floor. He couldn't move forward and couldn't walk out. So he stood and stared…he knew he would give it all up, he had to give it all up…he didn't want to be a police detective anymore.

There was only one thing he wanted to be…from this day forth, forever and ever, a fluffy, pink towel…the same fluffy, pink towel which was now wrapped around his partner's wet body. The same fluffy, pink towel which was tightly hugging the very parts of her he had only dreamed about…again and again and again.

His eyes momentarily drifted from the fabric to her long, tanned legs below them...he had been dreaming of those legs too – they just weren't vertical. His eyes drifted upwards and stopped at the edge of the towel. Beads of water were still sliding down the rising mounds of her breasts and coming to rest on it…he so wanted to be that towel.

Raising his eyes further, Elliot stared at her face, and noticed Olivia was staring back at him. Her wet hair was dripping down her face, and he fought the overwhelming urge to dry her with little more than his tongue. His eyes locked with hers…his in stunned disbelief at how he had gone from being Elliot Stabler, NYPD SVU Detective, partnered with Olivia Benson to Elliot…Something or other… fluffy, pink towel wannabe only if wrapped around Olivia Stabler ... um ... Benson… in the blink of an eye.

Elliot raised his hand slowly to wipe away the liquid droplets from her face. He watched her face for permission to continue and when he saw nothing to deter him he continued; slow, tender strokes brushing her hair back and swiping the ones away from her forehead.

By some unknown propulsion, he found himself only inches away from her, the loose threads of her towel near enough for him to pull. Without it being a conscious decision his hand left her face and glided slowly down her neck, along her shoulder and down her slender arm to find her fingers. He entwined his fingers with hers, never once letting his eyes move from hers.

Hearing the sounds of unexpected visitors approaching, Elliot found himself being pulled into the very shower cubicle from where Olivia had first emerged.

Breathing became a chore for him as he had to remind himself to continue with the life sustaining action. Her scent was intoxicating, whatever she had washed herself with was his new favourite thing…he just didn't know what that was…he didn't think he'd remember even if she told him.

Though there was no need, he found himself pressed against her in the small confined space. He knew it wasn't necessary for her to be this close to him and it took him a minute to realise it was him pinned to the wall by her and not the other way around.

His hands made their way around her neck before descending. His fingers found themselves raking through the pile of the towelling, enjoying the sensation beneath his fingertips. With each gentle caress of her body she moved closer and closer to him, threads from the towel attaching to his clothes in the process.

He looked at her and lost himself in the dark chocolate orbs in front of him … he could have sworn he could see into her heart, her soul … he could see what she wanted, needed. Or at least he hoped he was seeing it…and it was not just the reflection of himself, his own needs and wants.

Leaning down, his lips brushed against her forehead, resulting in her shivering slightly. It was all the encouragement he needed to wrap his arms around her and pull her tightly to him. His lips trailed their own path down her face until they met her eagerly awaiting lips. They exchanged long and lingering kisses before his hands made their way down the towel once more.

The slamming of a locker door, followed by Fin's booming voice, startled them and they pulled away quickly, hearts pounding in unison. Both knew their time was up and anything further would have to wait. When the change room was empty Elliot cautiously opened the door, seeing the coast was clear, he turned back to Olivia and kissed her again before exiting the cubicle.

"There you are, El… what have you been up to…Cragen's been looking for you," Fin said. Elliot only smiled. "You'd better have a damned better excuse than that smile."

Elliot trotted down the steps, a new found spring in his step.

"What's all over your jacket?" Don asked eyeing his detective. Elliot looked down and grinned when he saw the familiar pink threads. He knew he'd happily share himself between two careers: one that paid the bills as a detective and the one which made him ecstatically happy – a fluffy pink towel.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia stood on Elliot's doorstep, more than a little nervous but not changing her mind in the least. They had not exchanged a single syllable since she exited the shower cubicle for the first time and found Elliot dumbstruck.

They had made no plans for the evening, Elliot had been sent out by Don, pink threads and all, before Olivia had re-emerged from the change room. She had left for the night before he returned but now, here she was on his doorstep.

She knew he was home, his car was there and the lights were on but there was no answer to her knocks. Taking a deep breath she used her emergency key and let herself in.

A broad smile engulfed her as she heard a familiar sound of running water, the irony of finding him there not lost on her. She made her way up the stairs, her desire was to join him but she decided not to push things just yet and sat cross-legged on his bed instead.

Just as she was diving into a regular Elliot fantasy, the water stopped, bringing her back to reality. She fixed her eyes firmly on the bathroom door and held her breath. It didn't take long for him to emerge.

Head down and rubbing his hair dry with a pale blue towel he didn't see her sitting there, but he did hear her gasp as the white towel around his waist loosened. She watched as he grabbed it and secured it again while locking eyes with hers. Matching smiles spread across their faces.

Stretching her hand out to him he came towards her and she entwined her fingers with his and pulled him closer and closer before releasing his hand. Slowly she tracked the white towel around his body, applying deep pressure as she went. Deciding she didn't want the towel just the contents, she pulled at the corner and undid it. Elliot's hands caught the top of it before it completely dropped and although the fabric protected his modesty at the front, with nothing behind him but the mirror, Olivia had a perfect view, she smiled happily.

Olivia stood up in the small space he had allowed between himself and the bed. Her hands and his both holding the towel, neither one moving the towel just holding it tightly…it was truly the only thing preventing their relationship from irreversibly transforming.

Deftly, Elliot moved one hand into the middle, freeing his other one to unbutton Olivia's blouse. She thought it only fair that since he was all but naked in front of her the least she could do was allow him to strip her, hopefully slowly and seductively or, as an alternative, just rip her clothes right off her – she wasn't fussed either way so long as it resulted in them both being naked.

She released one hand to help him remove her shirt. Before long her pants were unbuttoned and fell to the floor unassisted. She stepped out of them before kicking them out of the way; going commando provided its own benefits on a night like this. She raised her head and locked eyes with him. Olivia was startled by her bra strap falling, she hadn't even realised he had unhooked it. Olivia looked down from her body to his, there was nothing really left but that towel… and it had to go.

Effortlessly she moved towards him and pressed her body against his she slipped out of her bra before Elliot threw it back over his head. Olivia slowly pulled the towel away, throwing it across the floor. There was now nothing between them, no fabric white or pink to impede proceedings, no chance of interruption, no colleague or boss to look out for.

Olivia knew by stepping back she would pull Elliot with her, onto her so it's exactly what she did. She had waited many, many years for this opportunity, this chance to show him exactly what she felt for him. Before she knew it her lips on his, her hands going anywhere and everywhere they wanted and his reciprocating.

In their daily life, neither would have ever thrown in the towel, tonight they were ecstatic they had and if this was the result they would forever ensure it became part of their daily, and nightly, practice.


End file.
